One aspect of Don Delillo's novel Libra I've really been interested in is the effect of conspiracy theories, and how they connect so well into the blurring of history and fiction we have been studying throughout the course. Despite the fact that there is actual film footage and real witnesses of the assassination of President Kennedy, it is still considered one of the most well known conspiracy theories of the twentieth century because there is still so much room for interpretation of what actually happened that fatal 22nd of November.
Although Delillo is simply piecing together common conspiracy theories revolving around the case through his novel, we are given a fictional element to the story by really getting into Oswald's head and trying to understand his pretty unusual life through his perspective. By seeing Oswald's life play out through his eyes, I found myself at times sympathizing with Oswald. He dedicates his entire life to molding himself after great men in history, making it his goal to similarly go down in history as well by any means necessary. And once he finally accomplishes his goal after he shots Kennedy, it's hard not to feel some sort of satisfaction for Lee as the protagonist of the story. However when we stepped back and watched the actual shooting itself in class, it made me realize Lee's actions didn't just impact the plot of novel, but hurt so many people across the country in real life.
Not only did the conspiracy theory effect the country by causing society to question the reliability of our national security and what truly goes on behind the scene/what else could potentially be covered up, on a more personal level, the name "Lee Harvey Oswald" going down in history forever impacted his family we grew to know throughout the novel. When Lee is shot and killed, his wife became a widow, his children lost a father, and his mother lost a son. Whether they want to or not, his family has to live with the shame and disgust his actions brought to their family name, and how this would effect the course of the rest of their lives. Even worse, they have to live with the fact that they have no idea what really happened to Lee. While the Kennedy assassination for some may be simply an interesting subject to look into the missing part of history, for Lee's family, its an entire missing piece to their family history.
